Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

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Officially, 450,000 Palestinian refugees and their descendants live in Lebanon , but the actual numbers are controversial. Palestinian migration to Lebanon took place in various waves as a result of military conflicts in neighboring countries. Since most Palestinians are denied Lebanese citizenship, they live on the fringes of Lebanese society. Only the Christian minority within the Palestinian refugees was offered Lebanese citizenship shortly after their arrival in 1948.

history

Around half of the Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon live in one of the twelve refugee camps operated by UNRWA . Most of the Palestinians came as a result of the founding of Israel in 1948 (approx. 100,000). This was followed by renewed waves of refugees in the course of the Suez Crisis in 1956 and the Six Day War in 1967 (approx. 25,000). In the course of the expulsion from Jordan in 1970/71, between 15,000 and 30,000 reached Lebanon again. Since 2011, Palestinians have been fleeing the Syrian civil war to Lebanon again.

In 1956, 17 camps were recognized as official refugee camps, in which UNRWA took over the administration. Palestinian resistance movements, such as the PLO , were able to recruit many fedayeen from Lebanon's camps at the end of the 1960s . The Palestinian national movement received support from Lebanese society, especially from peasants and urban workers from the Muslim community, as well as from intellectuals and students. After the black of September 1970/71, the PLO moved its base to Lebanon. This led to a series of clashes between Palestinian guerrillas and the Lebanese army . The high point was April 13, 1975. On that day, shots were fired from a moving car at a church in a Beirut suburb. As a result, Phalangists shot 27 Palestinians in a bus in revenge. This is widely considered to be the catalyst for the Lebanese Civil War . Some camps were closed during the civil war, which is why there are now twelve official refugee camps supported by UNRWA. Due to poor living conditions and the Sabra and Shatila massacre , some Palestinians left Lebanon. Therefore, the actual number of Palestinians living in Lebanon is very likely significantly lower than the officially stated 450,000. Some studies have found numbers between 175,000 and 270,000 of Palestinians living in Lebanon.

Living conditions

Most Palestinian refugees are viewed by the Lebanese government as a destabilizing factor in the country's fragile religious and denominational makeup. Palestinians are often used as a scapegoat for Lebanon's problems. This leads to many disadvantages in everyday life. They are denied Lebanese citizenship, which is why many Palestinians face restrictions on freedom of movement, property purchases, access to the Lebanese education system, medical care and other government benefits. Another consequence is disadvantage on the labor market. In 2007 Palestinians were barred from 73 professions, today there are 39 professions. Especially in well-qualified fields such as medicine, law, and engineering. This forces many Palestinians into undeclared work, where they often earn below the state-set minimum wage. Another problem is the poorly developed infrastructure in the camps. The initial tents have given way to concrete blocks with corrugated iron roofs over the years. Today the camps are densely populated and it is preferred to build in heights. The substance of the building is dilapidated. Add to this a poor power supply and sewers that regularly flood in winter. UNRWA has built an extensive infrastructure to provide humanitarian aid. These are used by around 270,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. These include 12 camps, 69 schools, 27 medical facilities, 9 women's centers and 2 vocational schools. More than 90 percent of UNRWA employees in Lebanon are Palestinians, which makes the agency the most important employer for Palestinians in Lebanon. Because the relief organization is dependent on voluntary donations from states, it has to contend with chronic funding gaps.

Personalities

The Palestinian refugee camps have produced a number of well-known Palestinian personalities. The experience of having to live as a refugee under poor conditions occurs again and again in Palestinian literature and art. Some of the most important Palestinian writers in Lebanon include:

Ghassan Kanafani (1936–1972), is considered one of the most important contemporary Arab writers. Fled to Lebanon with his family in 1948. Part of his novel Umm Saad (1969) is set in the refugee camp Bourj Al-Barajneh.

Mahmoud Darwisch (1941-2008), was a Palestinian poet who briefly fled to Lebanon in 1948 with his family.

Nadschi al-Ali (1938–1987), was a Palestinian cartoonist who grew up in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon .

See also

literature

  • Michael Chiller-Glaus: Tackling the Intractable. Palestinian Refugees and the Search for Middle East Peace. Bern 2007.
  • Samih K. Farsoun: The Palestinians in Lebanon . In: SAIS Review , 2, Johns Hopkins University Press 1981.
  • Dietmar Herz: Palestine: Gaza and West Bank. History, politics, culture . 5th edition, Munich 2003.
  • Marvine Howe: Palestinians in Lebanon . In: Middle East Policy , 12, 2005.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Where We Work Lebanon. Retrieved August 1, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Palestinians on the fringes of Lebanese society. Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Rebecca Roberts: Refugees Second Class: Palestinians in Lebanon. Retrieved August 1, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b Marvine Howe: Palestinians in Lebanon . In: Middle East Policy . No. 12 , 2005, p. 145 .
  5. ↑ Lebanon: Exiled and suffering: Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Dietmar Herz: Palestine: Gaza and West Bank. History, politics, culture . 5th edition. Munich 2003, p. 54 .
  7. ↑ a b Substitute State for Palestinians. Retrieved August 1, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Samih K. Farousn: The Palestinians in Lebanon . In: SAIS Review . No. 2 . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981, pp. 100 f .
  9. ↑ Lebanese Civil War 1975 - 1976. Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
  10. ↑ a b c Michael Chiller-Glaus: Tackling the Intractable. Palestinian Refugees and the Search for Middle East Peace. Bern 2007, p. 91 f .
  11. ↑ Marvine Howe: Palestinians in Lebanon . In: Middle East Policy . No. 12 , 2005, p. 147 .
  12. ↑ Marvine Howe: Palestinians in Lebanon . In: Middle East Policy . No. 12 , 2005, p. 148 .